1. Field of the Invention
This invention concerns a cleaning method and apparatus, and more particularly relates to the removal of residual concrete from the interior of the drum of a concrete delivery truck.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Concrete delivery trucks generally have a rotating drum into which freshly made concrete is placed at the concrete production facility. During the course of travel to the delivery site, the drum is continuously rotated to assure the uniformity of the concrete mixture.
At the place of use, the concrete is dumped through a sluice trough into the exact location requiring the concrete. Although the entire load of concrete is dumped, there is always some concrete that clings to the interior walls of the drum. The most generally employed expedient for removing the clinging concrete is to direct a strong spray of water from a hose into the interior of the rotating drum. Unless done with care and thoroughness, the water stream may not achieve a complete cleaning. There are also situations where a hose for supplying running water is not available at the dump site. In such instances, the truck must return to the concrete plant before cleaning can commence.
By this time, however, the concrete has began to harden to a non-water dispersible state, and even a powerful stream of water is insufficient to remove the hardened concrete from the wall of the drum.
Numerous prior aft techniques have been disclosed for removing hardened concrete from the interior surface of the drum. Such techniques generally employ high force streams of water, chemical additives, abrasive treatments, rotation with heavy stones or balls, and the use of small jackhammers. Such techniques, however, have been found to be ineffective, time consuming, expensive, or deleterious to the drum. Most such techniques are confronted with the difficulty of working through the narrow opening of the drum which limits tool size and movement options, and further causes difficulty in reaching the innermost recesses of the drum.
The cleaning of concrete delivery drums is furthermore a hazardous chore. For example, eye injuries, lung damage, loss of hearing and allergic reactions have been commonplace. There is also the possibility that a worker may unknowingly be inside the drum while rotation is initiated during a cleaning operation.
Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to remove dried concrete adhered to the interior wall of a concrete drum.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a method, as in the foregoing object, which does not require entrance into the drum opening.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide a cleaning method of the aforesaid nature which is rapidly accomplished and does not require a source of running water.
It is yet another object of this invention to provide apparatus for achieving the aforesaid cleaning method and which is non-damaging to the concrete drum.
It is a still further object of this invention to provide apparatus of the aforesaid nature which is fast-acting and of simple, rugged construction amenable to low cost manufacture.
These and other beneficial objects and advantages will be apparent from the following description.